Raising the Attainment of Disadvantaged Youngsters - RADY

What is RADY?

Raising the Attainment of Disadvantaged Youngsters (RADY) is a pathway that the Staffordshire Virtual School has developed alongside Challenging Education. Our aim is to help schools realise the untapped potential of our disadvantaged learners through TARGET AND ATTAINMENT UPLIFTS. We help encourage schools to focus on EQUITY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING, ensuring the attainment of our disadvantaged learners is a GOLDEN THREAD throughout school policies and focusing on the PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION of our disadvantaged learners in all aspects of school life.

Why do we need RADY?

Bar chart titled “KS2 Expected Standard – RWM” comparing attainment between disadvantaged pupils (DA) and non-disadvantaged pupils (Non-DA). The chart shows that 42% of disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing, and mathematics, compared with 66% of non-disadvantaged pupils. The DA bar is pink and the Non-DA bar is blue-grey, highlighting a 24 percentage point gap in attainment.

Bar chart titled “GCSE – 4 or above in English and Maths” comparing attainment between disadvantaged pupils (DA) and non-disadvantaged pupils (Non-DA). The chart shows that 36% of disadvantaged pupils achieved grade 4 or above in English and maths, compared with 69% of non-disadvantaged pupils. The disadvantaged pupil bar is pink and the non-disadvantaged pupil bar is blue-grey, showing a 33 percentage point attainment gap.

Only 36.1% of children classed as “Disadvantaged” (DA) in Staffordshire achieved a grade 4 or above in their English and Maths GCSEs in 2022/23. For our “non-disadvantaged” children, this figure stood at 67.6%. Our Children in Care or with social workers will often face a greater challenge throughout their education compared to their peers, and as our children progress through their school lives, the average attainment gaps between DA and Non-DA children continues to grow.

The Virtual School aims to improve the education outcomes for our children in care and previously looked after children. We also aim to help the education journey for all children with a social worker and by working with schools more closely to focus on our RADY principles, hopefully improve the attainment outcomes for all disadvantaged youngsters.

The problem with progress

Illustrated comparison diagram showing differences in educational progress between non-disadvantaged (Non-DA) learners and disadvantaged (DA) learners across a school phase or key stage. The top section for Non-DA learners shows a yellow arrow labelled “Progress over an entire phase / Key Stage” extending fully to a target marked by crossed chequered flags. Below it, a shorter red arrow labelled “what actually happens” ends closer to the target, indicating most learners nearly reach expected progress. The lower section for DA learners shows a similar yellow progress arrow, but the red “what actually happens” arrow is significantly shorter and ends much earlier before the target flags, illustrating a larger gap between expected and actual progress. On the left side, a starting line is labelled “Prior attainment information (Baseline/KS1/KS2/)” and on the right side a finish line is labelled “Targets set.” The diagram uses yellow arrows for expected progress and red arrows for actual progress.

Our Disadvantaged learners will often start with a lower prior attainment than their non-DA classmates.
They are given lass ambitious targets because of the outcome of a couple of assessments done 2 or 3 times in their lives.
Our DA learners will often make less progress towards these targets – compounding the problem for their next assessments.

Even if the DA learner makes expected progress against their targets, their outcomes will always be lower than non-DA classmates. But the school can report “Standard progress” for ALL their learners with a Progress 8 score of 0.00.

Small summary table titled “Progress 8 in Staffordshire 2022/23” showing Progress 8 scores for disadvantaged and other pupils. The table reports a score of -0.79 for disadvantaged pupils and 0.01 for disadvantaged all other pupils. The table is outlined with a thick red border on a light grey background.

Equity in teaching and learning

Illustration comparing “Equality” and “Equity” in educational target-setting using two side-by-side panels with stylised figures reaching for apples in a tree. In the “Equality” panel, three figures of different heights stand on the same-sized boxes labelled “High Standards.” Because the boxes are equal, only the tallest figure can easily reach the apples, while the others struggle. A blue label on the left reads “Setting targets based on prior attainment,” with arrows pointing downward toward the shorter figures to highlight disadvantage. In the “Equity” panel, the figures stand on differently sized stacks of boxes so that all can reach the apples equally. The boxes are adjusted to provide additional support where needed. A blue label on the right reads “Setting targets that acknowledge untapped potential.” The diagram uses apples in a tree as a metaphor for achievement, with orange boxes representing levels of support or target-setting adjustments.

Using an equitable model for our target setting and teaching and learning, we can take into account the “untapped potential” that our disadvantaged learners have.

RADY Training

We have introduced a mandatory training session to all Staffordshire Children's and Families workers around RADY principles and how they can help promote the attainment of disadvantaged young people in their roles. Staffordshire Local Authority members can access the training via the Learning Hub link below.

https://learn.staffordshire.gov.uk/course/view.php?id=1679

RADY Resources

ALL Staffordshire schools have FREE access to ‘Thinking Differently for Disadvantaged Learners’ created by Challenging Education. These award-winning resources offer a vast range of videos, worksheets, tutorials and CPD materials on all things RADY. We would highly encourage any school to look through ‘Thinking Differently for Disadvantaged Learners’ and see the power of RADY for themselves.

‘Thinking Differently for Disadvantaged Learners’ - Professional Learning Programme – Challenging Education

Research into Raising Attainment of Disadvantaged Youngsters – DfE - Supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

RADY Beacon School Pathway – FULLY FUNDED TRAINING OFFER FOR SCHOOLS

We are currently working more closely with two cohorts of Beacon schools on our RADY Pathway, with a third cohort starting their journey in September 2024. This, FULLY FUNDED offer includes bespoke tutorials with Challenging Education, school visits from their members and Virtual School colleagues as well as ongoing, online support throughout the pathway after the first year of tutorials have been completed.

Whilst this pathway is still in its infancy, we have seen some fantastic progress from all learners in these schools, particularly those disadvantaged learners who most need our support.

100% of schools who have given feedback would recommend the pathway to another eligible school in Staffordshire, with 80% stating that the support they have received has been “Excellent”.

Whilst our attendance and suspension data is provisional, on average, schools on the RADY pathway have seen a greater increase in DA attendance from 2022/23 into 2023/24 and a greater decrease in DA suspensions when compared to other schools in Staffordshire who are not on the pathway.

Joining the RADY Pathway

If you or your school are interested in becoming a RADY Beacon School or would just like to know more details on the offer, please feel free to contact our RADY coordinator.

Adam Blundell - adam.blundell@staffordshire.gov.uk